Council States
Like its counterpart, the Angharad Empire, the Council States oversees a large portion of Kyros. Council territory is divided into three large provinces: Luceana, Miuselon, and Zelannen. Expansionism is not the driving motivation behind Council foreign policy, but the Eladrin that form the aristocratic elite of society share a common belief of racial superiority. Many Eladrin believe that Humans are little more than untamed beasts and the races that pledge allegiance to them are just as barbaric. When this racial dogma clashed with the expansionism of humanity in the First Age the result was the beginning of the Dominion Wars . Government In theory the ruling structure of the Council States is fairly simple. Each major city oversees the countryside and villages directly surrounding it. This includes tax collection, protection, and infrastructure. In this way, the individual city-states are able to enjoy a relative amount of freedom. Each of these major cities is ruled by A chief Magistrate who is free to choose his own advisors. The central government selects the Chief Magistrate who presides over the city and may sack any magistrate for any reason. This is how the High Council of Magi keeps control of their loosely controlled holdings. The High Council of Magi The High Council is the executive ruling body within the Council States. Membership has always been limited to three extraordinary individuals. The rules of succession are not properly laid out and oftentimes when a councilmember dies there is a power struggle within the Council States, an advantage the Angharad Empire has always made use of. This flaw in the system can be traced back to the First Age when all three councilmembers were either Eladrin or Deva, both races that have remarkably long lifespans. The Council Chambers are located in the Adamantine Tower, a symbol of the power the Council holds over the arcane forces of Kyros. Currently, the eldest member of the Council of Magi is the Archwizard Floreanus Gerrantar, a truly ancient Eladrin who has not been seen outside of the Adamantine Tower for a century. Also on the Council is the High Priestess Damatuez, a Deva Psion and a prophetess of Kord. In past lives, she was the mastermind behind the strategy of the Dominion Wars. Damatuez is also the head of a vast information network: the Shan Qabal. The last, but certainly not least, member of the Council of Magi is Húath Ratthom , an elderly Githzerai monk who was among the first of that race to cross the Corrupted Wall into Kyros. He has great diplomatic skill and presides over the Council States' foreign policy and justice system. Politically, he is an advocate for peace between the Council States and the Empire. Many believe that without his even-handed justice the century-long peace that has existed on Kyros would fall apart quickly. Regions of the Council States Luceana The westernmost of the Council States, Luceana was a battlezone during the Dominion Wars. Until armistice it was occupied and even partially colonized by Imperial forces. Although the Angharad Empire has relinquished control of this region, many of the Imperial families that were moved to Luceana have remained and proliferated during the peace. The city of Vir-Mateen is probably the most racially diverse population on all of Kyros. However, Luceana's interior is covered by the Stygian Forest, a place of darkness and mystery. Much of the forest remains unexplored even to this day. Miuselon This region is marred by the Northern Devastation surrounding the Corrupted Wall in the north. The city Myghal is the one outpost that keeps watch over the maddening, unnatural feature. However, in the south is the Council city of Stros'Anol, the headquarters of the Council Navy. From here, Council ships patrol the coast and occasionally stray into the Etnonal Islands in direct violation of their neutrality, but the Council of Magi rarely, if ever, punish captains for their transgression. Zelannen The heart of the Council States is home to some of the biggest cities in Kyros and is heavily imbued with arcane energy left over from the creation. Since this energy has been focused by the Adamantine Tower, there has been an increase of events explainable only by magic. Whether it's the Migratory Jungles of the south or possibly waking up to discover you've been transformed into a gigantic cockraoch, denizens of Zelannen are prepared for anything.